Shelby Petik hit her team-leading seventh double of the season, this one a two-RBI shot in the fifth that erased an Eagle 2-0 lead, while Katie Brown threw a solid six innings, to lead the Presbyterian College softball team to the come-from-behind 4-2 win over Winthrop in Big South action this afternoon in Clinton, S.C. With the win, the Blue Hose avoid the series sweep after falling to the Eagles in two games last week.
PC improves to 17-12 overall and 3-3 in the Big South, while Winthrop drops to 16-16, 3-4. The Blue Hose continue their home stretch with a series against Longwood Mar. 29-30. PC and Longwood square off in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1p.m., and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m., as well.
Head Coach Kama Tucker, who eclipsed the 200-win mark against Charleston Southern Saturday, increased her total to 203 with the Victory over the Eagles.
Jill McLean and Hope Rogers both paced the team with two hits apiece, as the Blue Hose finished the game with seven. Petik, Erin Taylor and Abby Allen all had a hit apiece.
Leading Winthrop was Naomi Stevens and Maddi Antone with two hits each. Alex White and Kelsey Ritter each had a hit, with Ritter posting the only RBI with her solo home run, her third of the season, in the fifth inning. The Eagles finished the game with six hits.
Earning the win for PC was Brown (5-3). She went 6.0 innings and gave up just one earned run off five hits. She struck out five as well, retiring the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings. Sydney Seigler picked up her first save of the season after coming into the game in the seventh and surrendering just one hit, while striking out one.
Sara Allen moved to 7-7 for Winthrop, going 5.2 innings and giving up four runs, all unearned, off six hits, while striking out seven.
Winthrop struck early in the first with a base hit from Stevens. After advancing to second off a ground-out, she move to third off a wild pitch and scored off a passed ball. The Eagles went up 2-0 off the solo shot to left field from Ritter.
Two fielder's choices, only run resulting in an out, put runners in scoring position for the Blue Hose with just one out in the fifth. That's when Petik hit a base-clearing double to left center, tying the game. She would advance to third on the same play and score the next at-bat off a wild pitch to give PC the 3-2 lead.
PC added an insurance run in the sixth with Jennifer Marshall scoring off a Winthrop error and the Blue Hose took the 4-2 lead heading into the seventh.
The Eagles had a chance in the seventh after opening the inning with a double by White. Seigler came into the game, and forced the next batter to pop up. The next batter hit into a fielder's choice with White being tagged out by the third baseman. Seigler struck out the next batter to preserve the two-run PC win.
